1. Field of the Invention
The methods and apparatus of the present invention relate generally to the field of location-based services, and more particularly to applications of location information for location-aware products.
2. Background
The deployment in modern times of communication satellites in earth orbit, such as those which form the well-known Global Positioning System (GPS), have enabled, first, military systems, and subsequently, commercial systems to use signals from orbiting satellites to determine their location on earth. In this way, the navigation of military and commercial vehicles by automatic guidance systems has been facilitated.
In addition to guidance system applications, signals from the Global Positioning System have been used in conjunction with various hardware and software products for providing terrestrial coordinates to users such as hikers or backpackers who want or need to know their locations. Similarly, fleets of trucks have been equipped with GPS systems so that their location can be monitored.
As the application and acceptance of GPS based location systems has grown the cost of such GPS hardware and software has begun to decline. With declining prices, it is anticipated that the deployment of such location information resources in a wide variety of electronic products will become feasible.
What is needed are practical uses for such location information resources in consumer products, such as, but not limited to mobile consumer electronics devices.